Combination mining bit gauge and wrench



Feb. 1, 1938. J. KNIGHT I COMBINATION MINING BIT GAUGE AND WRENCH Filed March 21, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 1, 1938. J KMGHT I 2,106,749

COMBINATION MINING BIT GAUGE AND WRENCH Filed March 21, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Jame Patented Feb. 1, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COIWBINATIGN MINING BIT GAUGE AND WRENCH Application March 21, 1935, Serial No. 12,319

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a combination mining bit gauge and wrench and has for an object to provide an improved combination mining bit gauge and wrench for use in coal mine machinery, especially that part of the mining machine which is used in the cutting of the coal.

The coal cutting machine as used in the mines for undercutting the coal has a chain equipped with lugs which have fastened in them by a set screw a bit which forms a very coarse saw for cutting the coal. As an example of such a coal cutting machine may be mentioned the device illustrated in the patent to Teller, 979,597, of December 27, 1910.

These cutting bits have to be removed and resharpened very frequently and it is a problem to set these bits in the chain all evenly. A number of hand gauges have been devised for this purpose, but the machine operators usually fail to make use of these gauges and instead depend on the eye for this very essential operation.

By using the invention herein set forth the operator can only set the bit to the standard length allowed by the gauge and wrench, for if the bit is out even as little as one-sixteenth of an inch too much, he cannot tighten the set screw which holds the bit in the lug until he has put the bit in to the proper length.

A number of very dangerous conditions will be eliminated by use of this invention, first, careless setting of the machine bits have caused a number of men to have their legs broken through the machine kicking back from the coal when the bits are set uneven; second, setting the bit accurately will cause the machine to produce more efficiently; third, the setting of the bit accurately reduces the power necessary for operation; fourth, the setting of the bit accurately causes much less slack coal to be produced, as a smaller kerf is cut in the solid coal; fifth, greater saving will be effected in reducing the maintenance cost of the equipment, for long bits have caused many accidents and damage to machinery and have created much unnecessary expense in the mining industry.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, as will hereinafter become apparent, this invention comprises the constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, hereinafter set forth, disclosed and shown on the accompanying drawings. In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan View of the invention,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same,

Figure 3 is an end view looking from the right of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is an end view looking from the left of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1, showing the wrench applied, and

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 3.

There is shown at In the combination mining machine bit and wrench of this invention. This invention I includes a conventional mining machine bit Wrench ll having the usual wrench head l2 preferably in the form of a socket wrench head, which for this purpose is intended to fit a A, inch square head bit screw. So that the wrench may be more easily applied instead of the head being provided with a single square wrench receiving socket it is provided with two square wrench receiving sockets spaced forty-five degrees apart, thereby providing one socket having its sides i3 parallel to and at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the handle of the wrench It and the other socket having its sides M at forty-five degrees to the direction of the length of the handle of the wrench H.

With this construction it is possible to turn the set screw IE to which it is to be applied in small increments at a time thereby allowing the wrench to be applied at the most convenient angle. In the mining machine the saw 16 has the bit I! secured thereto by means of the set screw Hi. It is very essential that the bit ll project from the saw It the same distance for each bit, and this distance is preferably two-and-onehalf inches from the center of the set screw l5. As the saw it is used, the bit ll becomes dull and it becomes necessary to remove the bit I! from the saw I B and resharpen the same, and then replace it in position.

This invention insures that the bit I! shall be replaced in proper position and not be allowed to project further from the saw l6 than this exact desired amount. To insure this a gauge [8 is added to the wrench II. This gauge l8 consists of a quarter circular shield or limited member I9 which is welded as at 20 to the wrench Ii. This shield or limited member l9 extends through an arc of 90 being 45 on each side of the center of the handle of the wrench H This shield or limited member NJ has a radius of twoand-one-half inches from the center of the wrench head 12 which is the same distance as the desired distance from the center of the set screw 15 to the sharpened ends of the machine bit I'l.

Extending back from the center of the quarter circular shield or limited member I9 is a reinforcing flange 2| which is welded as at 22 along the top of the handle of the wrench I I, the flange 2| being Welded to the shield I9 as at 23. The welding 23 continues along the side of the handle of the wrench I I where the shield or limited member has been secured to the handle by inserting the handle through the aperture 24 in the shield or limited member I9. As will be apparent, the shield or limited member I9 and the reinforcing flange 2| properly assembled, as above described, form the gauge on the wrench H, thereby making the combination mining machine bit gauge and wrench ID of this invention.

To assemble this invention the shield or limited member I9 may have the handle of the wrench I I inserted through the opening 24 in the shield I9. The shield or limited member I9 is then moved over the handle until it is a desired proper distance from the head I2 and the weld 20 is formed thereabout to hold the shield or limited member I9 in position. The reinforcing flange 2! is then placed in proper position on the top of the handle of the wrench II against the back of the shield or limited member I9 and the additional welds 22 and 23 are made thereby securely holding the shield or limited member I9 in its proper gauging position.

In using this invention the head I2 of the wrench II is placed in position on the head of the set screw l5 while the mining machine bit I! is still loose in the saw I6. The bit I1 is then pulled outwardly until its edge just barely contacts with the inside of the shield or limited member I9. With the bit thus in the proper measured position the wrench II is then operated to tighten the set screw I5 and hold the bit IT at the desired position. Obviously, the set screw cannot be tightened if the bit I 1 should be too far out, as it would then prevent the wrench from operating.

By so using the combination gauge and wrench all the bits I1 along the saw I6 will be set evenly to the same length, and it will be impossible to have any individual bits I! set at any greater distance with the undesirable results following from such improper setting.

The novel features and the operation of this device will be apparent from the foregoing description. While the device has been shown and the structure describedin detail, it is obvious that this invention is not to be considered limited to the exact form disclosed and that changes may be made therein within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

1. A combination mining machine bit gauge and Wrench comprising a 'mining machine set screw wrench, and a mining machine bit gauge secured thereto, said gauge comprising a curved limiting member having'a radius equal to the desired length the mining machine bit is to extend from the center of its securing set screw.

2. A combination mining machine bit gauge and wrench comprising a mining machine set screw wrench, a mining machine bit gauge secured thereto, said gauge comprising a curved limiting member having a radius equal to the desired length the mining machine bit is to extend from the center of its securing set screw, and a reinforcing flange secured to the outer side of said limiting member and to said wrench.

3. As an article of manufacture, a mining machine bit gauge comprising a wrench socket, a wrench handle, a limiting member mounted on said wrench handle a distance from the center of said wrench socket equal to the distance that the bit should extend from the center of the mining machine, and a reinforcing flange secured to the back of said limiting member and to the top of said handle.

4. As an article of manufacture, a mining machine gauge for an adjustably secured bit comprising a wrench socket, a wrench handle, and a curved limiting member mounted on said wrench handle a distance from said wrench socket equal to the distance that the bit should extend from its securing means on the mining machine, and a reinforcing flange secured to the back of said curved limiting member.

5. A mining machine bit limiting member for attachment to a mining machine set screw wrench, the wrench having a set screw engaging portion and a longitudinal member extending from said portion, said limiting member having a curvature with a radius equal to the distance that the tip of the mining machine bit should extend from the center of the mining machine bit securing set screw, said limiting member having an aperture through which the longitudinal member of the set screw wrench may extend.

6. A bit limiting member for attachment to a mining machine set screw wrench having a set screw engaging portion and a longitudinal member extending from said portion, the limiting member being attachable to said longitudinal extending member a distance from the set screw engaging portion equal to the distance the tip of the bit should extend from the center of the mining machine bit securing set screw, the limiting member having an aperture through which the longitudinal member is to extend.

'7. A bit limiting member for attachment to a mining machine set screw wrench having a set screw engaging portion and a longitudinal member extending from said portion, the limiting member being attachable to said longitudinal extending member a distance from the set screw engaging portion equal tothe distance the tip of the bit should extend from the center of the mining machine bit securing set screw, the limiting member having an aperture through which the longitudinal member is to extend, and a reinforcing flange from the back of said limiting member.

JESSE L. KNIGHT. 

